Joe and Jill Went to the Hill

I shunned Girl Scouts, cheerleading, my all girls boarding school, the field hockey and lacrosse teams, and the Delta-somethings to whom I wrote a fat check every semester. I was more than a foot dragger when it came to all that stuff. I was never a girl who wanted to hang with the other girls. At least not in an organized fashion. I couldn't deal with the pettiness, popularity contests, and primping. The insecurity (mine and theirs) was too much to bear. Add hormones to the mix, and it's a veritable beaker of hydrocloric acid about to erupt. It seemed that there was a lot of gabbing and not much doing. I was just not one of those girls.

It was not until well into my adulthood that I saw my fellow X-chromosomes in a different light. I have found that without us, nothing gets done. And we can gab and do at the same time. That old tired adage about behind every man is a great woman is a gross understatement. Behind every man is an even greater, more organized, more disciplined, more aware, multitasker of a woman.

Here's food for thought: By electing Barack Obama to the White House, our country gets a 4-fer. Way better than a bogo ("buy one get one," as we marketing folks say). Along with Barack, we get Joe, Michelle, and Jill.

Jill, you say?

Jill, say I.

Dr. Jill Biden.

I had the priviledge of talking with Dr. Biden on a conference call with some other bloggers last week. She was articulate, candid, impassioned, and earnest. This is a learned woman with 2 masters degrees (English and Education) and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. She has devoted her life to children and learning. She raised three kids and somehow managed to earn all those degrees. But she's not a bookish dorky type. Oh no. She's confident, clever, and laughs easily without being folksy. She made no disparaging remarks about the McCain ticket; Jill Biden does not need to resort to snarky banter.

Dr. Biden has taught emotionally troubled kids and currently teaches at Delaware Community and Technical College. She is passionate about literacy, instilling confidence in our youth through their studies, helping students find their voice, and bringing books to low income children and families through the Book Buddies program. She is also dedicated to breast cancer awareness, serving as the president of the Biden Breast Health Initiative, a non-profit that provides free educational breast health programs free of charge to schools in Delaware.

Aside from her impressive resume, she responded to our questions (that we asked off the cuff, not prepared and presented ahead of time) with straight answers and candor. It is clear that this amazing woman is fired up. She is no shrinking violet cowering behind her powerful husband. While Joe is on the campaign trail, Jill continues to teach four days a week. That demonstrates an unwielding commitment to her students.

I could wax on but I think you get my drift. Obama will be backed by some pretty damn smart minds. Sure, Michelle and Jill won't be sitting in on cabinet meetings or hanging out on the Hill while bills are being written and argued. But they also won't be strolling the boutiques of Georgetown whiling away the hours while their menfolk do the real work. Nuh uh. Not these women who are forces to be reckoned with on their own. And they shop at Target and off the rack anyway!

I don't spend much time at Mac Daddy's office but I do listen to him vent and offer solutions sometimes. I do some proofreading and editing (of nothing confidential, mind you). And he does the same for me. I did have to quickly squash his help on brainstorming for a client once when he came up with some cockamamie idea for a lawyer retreat: an underwear and lingerie show called Legal Briefs. Yeah, other that than Mac Daddy is actually a second set of eyes and brain power that I lean on. You get my drift.

I tell you, I would cast my vote for any combination of Obamas and Bidens. Impressive credentials and a passion for justice abounds in this foursome.

Dr. Jill Biden is not the distant, wallflower the handlers keep out of the limelight. She simply has more important things to tend to. Her family and students.

PS
Note that I did not mention Sarah Palin one time in this post.

PPS
Note that I also did not compare Michelle Obama to the First Dude, Todd Palin.